Back in the saddle again!

Last week was the most gorgeous week that we have had to date this year. The sun came out, the grass dried, flowers started bobbing their heads along the sun's trajectory throughout the day. Wow, it was such a nice repreive from the dreary grey and rain.

Monday afternoon I planted my herbs while Clint mowed the lawn. I bought a cute basket that holds marjoram, lemon thyme, Australian bush mint, oregano and two flavors of sage. The second pot holds my chives, mint and regular thyme. It smelled so good while I was planting them that I wanted to grill every meat in sight and slather it with fresh gremolada. De-lish!

Tuesday was a poopy day at work, so I called Clint and told him to have the bikes ready when I got home, I needed to pund some pavement. We headed to the Sammamish River Trailhead @ Bothell Landing and hit the road. We pounded for a steady hour, Clint trailing behind me. I'm not saying this to be mean to Clint, but rather to point out that I had some serious frustration that I was absolutely pounding the crap out of! We rode 16 miles in 1h 3m. That's pretty rocking!

Friday was a short day at work. I was a volunteer speaker to a group of 11-14 year old girls participating in a Spring Break girls' conference through SeaMar. Friday was their day to talk about goal setting and thinking about the things that they like to do in terms of future career options. I was on a panel of 4 women who came in to talk about their careers. It was really great to have the opportunity to talk to these girls and hopefully make a difference in their lives. Although, remembering what I was like at that age, i should give up hope of helping, as they have probably already forgotten everything about that day...

After that, Clint and I went for another bike ride, again on the Sammamish River Trail. We rode all thr way into Redmond, through Marymoore Park to the very end where the trail becomes gravel. We turned around, and rode home. This was kind of a bummer, as we both felt that we could have rode more. But 22 miles was good for our 2nd ride of the season.

Saturday. Oh Saturday. My favorite. The sun came out and hit 70 degrees, I had forgotten exactly what warmth felt like. Like melted marshmallows smashed between soft chocolate, help together by honey grahams. Only better. OK, I really like s'mores, too. But the sunshine was also amazing! I went to the little bursery down the street and picked up some new plants for our front and was gardening for a while, sweating profusely in the luke-warm sun. Clint brought home Larry's BBQ sandwhiches for lunch. Yum-o!

After lunch I decided I needed more seat time, so I called Dad and headed over there to ride with him on the Centennial Trail. We did 24 miles in teh sunshine, getting passed by none. We saw a Bald Eagle and a garder snake. We saw equines, children, in-line skaters, dog walkers, and joggers all out enjoying the sun. It was, in fact, a perfect day.

Now we're back in the 50s with rain and grey skies. I am so thankful that I got out and did as much as I did last week and took advantage of the weather. It was such a teaser, but I'm happier to have had some than none at all!

Family Time

This Tuesday marks my grandfather's 80th birthday. This is Dad's Dad. So on Saturday, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Clint and I piled into a car and drove to Portland for Chief's 80th party. We were greeted by Uncles, Aunts, Great Aunts, and cousins that I haven't seen in several years to over a decade.

It was really great to have people together in the same place celebrating Chief's resistance to aging. Or at least in his mind. I remember Chief as somewhat of a wild man, traveling from here to there, always in search of the biggest wave or best snow, depending on the season. Passing through on his way, stopping in for dinner and a shower when he could. Despite the slowing of his lifestyle, his attitude and mental agility are still right at the top, and I hope to all hopes that I inherit those characteristics.

Today is a day for family, too. The Big Blue House family. I woke up yesterday morning feeling congested and short on energy, but pushed through the day, for the party, only to sack out in the car on the way home. Today I woke up feeling like a moose had lodged itself inside my head. My sinuses are packed to the brim with funk and it's not going anywhere. No drips, no coughs, just sticking around. And this feels miserable.

So today I got to spend a lot of time on the couch with my hubby and the kitties, who I think have felt neglected the past two weeks due to our over-working schedules paired with a successful effort of getting back to the gym.

 I cancelled my previous plans for the day and just relaxed. Hopefully this crud will start making its way out of my head tomorrow. Although I LOVE napping and waking up to a magnificently clean kitchen!